​Bury Market and Trading Standards keeping shoppers safe from counterfeits

Bury Market and trading standards officers are working to protect shoppers and legitimate businesses by helping to stamp out rogue traders and counterfeit products.

They have been praised for signing up to the Real Deal Campaign and Fake-Free Markets charter, being run by the National Markets Group for IP Protection (NMG). This reassures consumers that they can expect to buy only genuine brands and quality goods when they shop at local markets, car boot sales or selling groups bearing the ‘Real Deal’ logo.

The NMG is made up of a partnership of law enforcement, government and industry stakeholders, supported by the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA).

Patricia Lennon, national co-ordinator of the ‘Real Deal’ Campaign for the NMG, said: “The Real Deal and ‘Fake Free Markets’ Charter has proved to be a huge reassurance for shoppers. We cannot praise highly enough the commitment we have seen from markets and trading standards services who have jointly signed up to the charter to protect their customers from buying untested, poor quality, potentially unsafe counterfeit products.

“In displaying the ‘Real Deal’ logo, a market gives reassurance to shoppers that it is a safe place to buy and sell. It also sends a strong ‘keep out’ message to any would-be traders in counterfeits who have no scruples when it comes to selling sub-standard products.”

Angela Lomax, head of trading standards and licensing at Bury Council, said: “Counterfeit products are not only bad news for consumers, but also for legitimate, hard-working local business owners who risk losing sales.

“When counterfeits find their way into a market environment, the revenue goes to the black market rather than the economy. The trade in fakes is frequently found to be linked to organised crime – something that would horrify most shoppers or traders if they knew.”

She added “Bury trading standards team, ten years on, continues to work to rid the market place of fakes and are proud to work in partnership with our markets to ensure everyone shopping in Bury enjoys their visit and the purchases they’ve bought.”

Although a large number of outlets have signed up to the scheme, the NMG is using this 10th anniversary milestone to urge more markets to join the initiative.

More information on the Real Deal campaign and its 10th anniversary celebrations can be found at www.realdealmarkets.co.uk

ENDS

Press release issued: 6 December 2019.

Picture: The Real Deal – trading standards head Angela Lomax and markets manager Andrew Heyes.